


Explosive Pottery

by kyochisas, Vannilliaify



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, But you guys, Everybody Lives, Fluffy, I'll shaddap now., M/M, Pls just go with it, Probably wildly innaccurate, all the cliches, also, even every time Taka says "um", gay as heck, god there are so many cliches, i PROMISE this isn't as bad as you may think at first glance, it's actually pretty funny, okay, smiling too, take a drink every time it says a smile, take a drink every time this story mentions blushing, very very VERY FLUFFY, you'll be drunk off your rocker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-06-08 23:20:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6879001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyochisas/pseuds/kyochisas, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vannilliaify/pseuds/Vannilliaify
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when a biker finds a clay-covered hall monitor standing in the empty hallway crying?</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Romance, apparently.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Explosive Pottery

**Author's Note:**

> please don't ask how or why the pottery exploded. It was a promtpt and we just rolled with it, we've no idea how it actually works. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Kiyotaka Ishimaru was stunned. He was a failure. He had just been working on making a nice bowl in pottery class one minute, and the next... Clay. Clay EVERYWHERE. It had exploded on him, ruining his uniform in spots and getting stuck in his hair. He tried to fight back tears, and with a wavering voice he asked to be dismissed from class for a second to clean up. When the teacher said yes, he hightailed it out of there and made sure he was far away from the door. Before he could stop himself, his pitiful crying and sniffles were filling the once silent hallways. He broke down and dropped to the floor sobbing, hands trying to cover his face. Suck it up, Kiyo! You can't cry over this! You..... ..........failure! This only made him cry harder, and two minutes later he was even more of a mess. His breathing was all wonked up and he let out some quiet whimpers.

Of course he was skipping class. No way anyone would catch him dead doing something as... whatever it was. Must have been something so bad that he pushed it out of his head. So, with a gruff sigh, Mondo carried on strolling around, avoid on getting caught at all.

Though, he paused suddenly, to the sounds of something akin to crying. Eyebrow raised and lips pressed into a frown, the biker began trying to find out what the hell it was-  
"...Eh?" Seeing the hall monitor covered in clay like he was wasn't what he was expecting. Sure, they'd talked a time or two before, usually for reasons less than pleasant but... Mondo couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. "...You alright there? I mean, ya don't look it, but..." He rubbed the back of his neck, slightly glancing away. Aw man, how embarrassing.

Ishimaru raised his head, a little startled that somebody actually saw him. His large, ruby red eyes were those of a deer caught in the headlights, and when he tried to speak no words seemed to be coming out. At least, not at first. He finally managed to find his voice, so he weakly replied, "S-skipping class is forbidden, you know..." He was obviously dodging the question he'd been asked.

"...That's the only thing ya can think of sayin'? Really?" He let out a short sigh, taking a step or two closer to pick out some of the clay stuck in the shorter boy's hair, his other hand still shoved in his coat pocket. "Guess s'good I skipped call, otherwise I'd 'ave to deal wi' this, wouldn't I?"

Ishimaru just sat there, closing his eyes as tightly as he could. The tears wouldn't stop and again he mentally degraded himself for it. As he opened them back up, he let his eyes meet Mondo's. Or at the least he tried to. Doing that is kinda hard when you're sitting on the ground, you know? "It's nothing. You sho-ouldnt be worr-rying about me, I'll be-e fine. " The hiccups and sniffles and every other great thing that comes with crying slurred and messed with his words, making a very unconvincing tone overall. He couldn't tell anybody he had failed, he just couldn't!!

Oh well this was just sad now. The biker finally moved his hand away, his violet hues locking with scarlet ones that were misted with tears, the frown finally leaving his face. He just couldn't be mad about this kind of thing. Well, maybe he could if he really tried, but... this time, he didn't really want to put the effort in. "Dude, yer fuckin' curled up in the hallway bawling yer damn eyes out. How can a guy not be worried about ya?"

Those words sounded incredibly foreign to him, and he froze for a second, trying to process what he just said. However, he still uncurled himself and got up with speed rivaling that of a snail, remembering he had got some on his uniform. How bad was the damage? He gulped and slowly, slowly he looked down to see the damage that had been done. The clay had splattered all over the front of his shirt, and over some of his pants too. His entire front half seemed to be covered in it in general, and for a moment his breathing hitched. His hands fell to his sides as if he were a rag doll, his face upturned and intaking a deep breath, and he stomped his foot in frustration. A loud wail echoed through the halls as he bawled like a child, and he pulled at his uniform in disgust. 

￼

"I REALLY AM A FAILURE, AREN'T I?!" He at least managed to get one coherent sentence out of his mouth so that's good, right?

The boy's shouting caught they biker off guard, causing him to hit his back against the wall just opposite. "Keep yer damn voice down, will ya?!" ...Even though he was shouting himself. It always happened when he got nervous or anything similar. Fixing a bit of his hair that had fallen out of place, Mondo sighed and pushed himself off of the wall, looking at Ishimaru again with a blank face. "...Look. It's not the end of the world, yeah? Haven't ya got like... however many more pairs of that damn uniform at home or whatever??"

He let out another cry of despair. "It's not just that! I have nine more pairs but--! B-but I... But I just--" He kept repeating himself, having a hard time getting the words out. "I...was m-mmwuh-making a clay bo-owl in pot-t-tery class a-an-d before I ev-en knew it, the thing explode-d on me and..!!"

￼

"I can't believe I messed up so horribly on making SOMETHING so simple! I didn't think it was possible to be this horrible I.....!!! " His voice was strained, and again, still had the hiccups and all that nice jazz.

"OK, OK, I got it... geez." Of course, he'd know nothing about the struggles of school uniform, since he pretty much refused to wear one at all. But still... "...Look, from what I've 'eard, pottery or whatever is pretty hard, right? So... I guess ya just gotta calm down a bit. Ya can't be perfect all the damn time, mistakes just mean room to grow. That's what I've been told, anyways..."

Ishimaru shook his head. "I ha-ave to be p-puh-per-fffect, there's no room f-or any erro-r! " He wants nothing more than comfort right now, but he doesn't want to show any PDA. He'd have to give himself detention! He's having an internal conflict with himself, until he approaches Mondo a little more. The tears left dried tracks down his face, and they felt sticky. That doesn't mean he had entirely stopped crying, though; he was pretty much a leaky faucet at this point. "T-hank you for y-ou-r advice, M-ondo." He tried to force a smile but you could tell it wasn't genuine.

Mondo have a light huff and glanced away, muttering to himself. What the hell should he do? Standing around like this would get him caught by prowling teachers, so he'd get dragged back to class and a probable detention too... but then again, this was his classmate, right? And while normally he wouldn't care, the kid was crying. He looked scared. Sighing quietly and going against his better judgement, he stayed exactly where he was. "Hey, if yer gonna smile, do it properly, yeah? ...Seriously though. Taka. Ya don't have to be perfect, just 'cos you wear this-" He took a moment to flick the badge on the hall monitor's chest, before he pulled his hand away again. "Yer just like any of us. Lucky to be here. So just relax a little, yeah?"

Kiyo let out a strangled noise at the nickname 'Taka'. He was going to protest, but found he was far too tired to. He just nodded lamely, closing his eyes shut. The light hurt after crying as much as he did, so yeah they stayed shut. He took a few moments to try to calm himself down. He felt like tears should still be falling although they had stopped, and it looked like he was fresh out of them...He heard footsteps in the distance and his eyes snapped open, bloodshot and irises incredibly BRIGHT from the crying. He looked down the hallway towards the source of the sound, and noted it was a teacher. Quickly, he grabbed Mondo's hand and hastily speedwalked to the bathroom, tugging him in. "I'm n-not gonna let a teacher get you, not this time at least.. "

￼

Oh shit. You could see his shoulders tense up at the sound of footsteps, and he took a moment to glance at Ishimaru stood in front of him... his gaze lingering for a second or two on his eyes of twinkling scarlet, like a star behind a filter or something... so much so, he almost tripped over his own feet at being dragged away to... hide? Wait, was the goodie two-shoes hall monitor really going to cover for him? He didn't know what to say above a few stutters of surprise.

Kiyo laughed a little, his eyes shining. "Yes, I know it's quite out of character for me to be doing this. But you don't deserve to be caught for helping me!! " He grinned, this time it was genuine. He let his hands linger a little long, before realizing he was still holding hands. He quickly pulled away. "Sorry about that. "

"Ah, uh, n-no, s'fine, don't worry 'bout it..." He gently rubbed his hand where it had been held, staring slightly at the other's now smiling face... it was a lot better than before at least. ...Wait, he was staring. Quick, look away, to the floor, before he says anything!

"Um, I should clean myself up. Hold on a second. " He blushed a little, and proceeded to wash his face off. After a few minutes he turned back around to mondo. His eyes were still a little puffy, but he was still smiling like a goofball. "Um, how can I show my gratitude to you? "

"Ya don't have to do anything, s'fine. You probably have enough on yer plate as is, don't worry 'bout me." He glanced up for a second or two and even smiled a little at the recovery he saw before him. That smile certainly was something else... aside from being better than a crying mess, that is.

"......Oh, I know! " He suddenly exclaimed, and strided towards Mondo. He nervously looked side to side multiple times as if he were a guard dog, then, after making sure nobody else was in the bathroom, hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Oowada-kun! It means alot that you decided to help me! "

Oh. Oh, OK. That was something he wasn't expecting at all. He visibly tensed up and practically glared at the floor as this point, his checks glowing a bright shade of pink, leaving him unable to speak aside from a mumbled "S'fine... don't worry 'bout it." He couldn't even return the gesture because he was too, well, afraid to. Not that he'd ever say that though.

Ishimaru pulled away after he felt Mondo go stiff, and he nervously fiddled with his shirt. He looked up to Mondo a little worriedly. "I'm sorry you seem a little uncomfortable, but it's my understanding that when one wants to show gratitude they hug. Is this not correct? " He averted his eyes to the side, finding the dull patternless tile actually a little interesting now.

"Yeah, that's right, ya didn't get it wrong... just... Fuck!" Sudden shouting due to nervousness again - he was getting hugged in a bathroom by someone cute (wait what) after all - and in response he kicked the wall next time him, shoving his hands into his pockets and turning away. "...Sorry. Just... not used to that kinda thing, ya know?"

Ishimaru visibly bristled but said nothing for a short time. "O-oh..... It's fine. Do not worry yourself, Oowada! I won't do it again if you wish me not to. I should probably get back to class but... I'm incredibly embarrassed. This may sound rather childish but do you mind coming with me to help me clean?? I mean surely you won't be heading back to your own class, knowing you. "

Mondo glanced backwards slightly, a frown of embarrassment still on his face, though it faded with a sigh, a gesture that was more exasperation with himself more than anything. "...I can give it a shot, dunno if I'll be useful or not."

Kiyo perked up happily, and he bowed. "Thank you very much! Now come on, let us go! " His voice was still a little hoarse and wavery from the whole fiasco that had happened minutes before, but not by much. He gripped Mondo's hand again and pulled him towards the pottery classroom. What a beautiful adventure this will turn out to be!!


	2. Taka's Troubles

He pushed open the door, and many surprised faces awaited them. People were whispering, pointing, harassing, laughing at him. Although it did bring his mood down and have the smile drop off of his face, he tried his best to ignore it. He went over to the area where the whole incident occurred and he realized just how bad it was. "Uh, the cleaning supplies are over there, I think... " He motioned towards the open closet. "Care to go get some for us? "

As he was led across the classroom, Mondo narrowed his eyes and let out a low growl of disgust at most of the other people in that room. All they were doing was kicking a guy who was already down, metaphorically speaking of course. Eventually though, he tore his gaze away from the class. "Uh, sure." Glancing a final time over his shoulder to make sure no one else was pulling any funny business, the biker made his way over to the closet and began to look through to grab everything he thought would be useful.

Ishimaru felt a paper wad hit his head and he looked down to see what it was. Giving an odd look towards it, he opened it and on it was written something like "total failure" with a doodle of his own face staring right back at him, horribly drawn with oversized tears and explosive pottery.

￼

He glared hard at the paper for a second, before subconsciously crushing it in his hands. He tore his gaze away from it, though. "You find them, Mondo? "

"Uh..." Turning back around, you could see he pretty much had everything in the closet in his arms. He had no idea how to clean. He didn't really see the need to most of the time, and his house was in 'organised chaos' because of this.

"Haha, it's quite alright! Just bring them over here. " He grinned, eyeing the laughing kid with a shit-eating grin angrily. He assumed that was the notes sender. Oh well, he sighed and turned away from him and didn't realize he let the note hit the floor.

Struggling a little bit, the biker managed to hand over the cleaning equipment. But, in doing so, he stood on the crumpled up piece of paper. Lifting his foot with an eyebrow raised, he stared for a few seconds before he bent down and picked up the small and wrinkled ball. "...What's this? Don't people know to put things in the damn bin anymore? Geez, even I know that shit..."

"Oh, uh, thank you Mondo!!" He exclaimed, jerking back a little. He offered an apologetic smile and giggled a little. "Terribly sorry, I didn't mean to litter like that...... Anyways!! Hand me that cleaner you have first! " He held out his hand expectantly.

With a small frown, Mondo unrolled the ball with one hand as he used the other to hand over the requested item, violet eyes glazing over the words written on the paper. How subtle. His gaze shifted up to the most likely suspect in the room, who was still laughing and grinning like an idiot. Well, Mondo knew his plans for the evening now, at least.

"Thank you! " He happily chirped, and got to work. A few minutes later, he asked, "Hey, think you could hand me some mop or something? "

After screwing up the paper and shoving it in his pocket with whatever other crap he had, he took the mop from under his arm and handed it over, taking a moment to rub the back of his neck. "Eh... sorry. I ain't bein' much 'elp, am I?"

At this, Kiyotaka perked up and his eyes flared up, almost as if they were only fire. He couldn't stand hearing others degrade themselves, they were so much more than they thought! Without a second thought he went into a passionate rant. "No, no! You're a very big help!! Without you, I never would have been able to set foot in here until the end of the day. And, besides that, you helped me by getting some cleaning supplies! Thank you so much! "

"Woah. Uh... If ya say so..." A sudden reaction like that surprised him a little, but the biker couldn't help but smile. It was nice to help every once in a while... though he wasn't planning on making this routine.

Eventually Kiyotaka finished his cleaning, and by the time he had the classroom was mostly empty, save for the student from before watching with a suspicious look and himself. Oh, and Mondo too. The kid purposefully went slow, planning on doing something probably.

Kiyotaka wiped his forehead and let out a sigh of relief, which then turned into a yawn he tried to stifle. Good lord, who knew crying could make you this tired?! "Again, thank you so much for everything. You don't have to stay longer than you need, though. So if you must, go ahead and leave. " He gave another one of his soft, tired smiles.

"...Nah." He probably was staring again, staring at the smile that was given to him. There was something about it that he just couldn't look away from... Though eventually he did, staring at the floor again while wondering what the hell was happening to himself. "I just... somethin's gonna go down... an' I don't trust it. I'm gonna stay with ya."

Sure enough, the kid sauntered over to them both and leaned on ishimaru with a smug grin. The shorter raven haired boy froze, a brief look of fear present on his features. "Hey, Mr. Kiyo-tastrophe! " He laughed at his own awful pun. "Did you like my note I sent you earlier? I spent a lot of time making it just right! I wanted to make sure you got the message, ya know? " He ruffled Taka's hair, purposefully pulling at it in a way that was subtle. He pulled some dry bits of clay out and they sort of hurt, so he flinched. In retaliation, Kiyotaka did the one thing he does best; resorting to rules. "PDA is not welcome in the school, fellow student!"

At that statement, the kid's face scrunched up in disgust. "Gross! PDA? With you?!  Bwahaha, that's hilarious!! What makes you think any of this is affection, you idiot?"

"Oi, back off, will ya?" Mondo gave the other kid a light shove with on hand, the other fiddling with the note he had discarded into his pocket. He knew this kid was going to be trouble. Looks like he was going to solve this sooner than he thought.

Ishimaru raised an eyebrow at Mondo's actions, and put a hand on Mondo's arms. "Mondo, it's fine. I deserve to be punished, after all! I messed up, and discipline is the only way I can learn to fix the mistake. Even if it is from people such as him.. " His tone was sincere, as if he honestly believed what he was saying. That's because he did. "C'mon, we should leave--" As Kiyotaka went to move away to grab his things, the kid stopped him.

"Hey! Hey! I didn't say you could leave yet! " He tried sizing down Kiyotaka, effectively getting him to shrink back, dull layers of defeat and acceptance in his eyes. "I kind of,, need my things.."

He gave the boy yet another shove, this time one much more aggressive. "I said back off, alright? Let him get his things or else. Got it?" There was a light growl as he ended his sentence, glaring the boy down as he began cracking his knuckles. Mondo couldn't care less if Ishimaru thought this was deserved or whatever, this was just dickish behaviour, plain and simple and he wouldn't stand for it.

"What are you gonna do to me, hit me? Do it, no balls. " He dared and amusement filled his face. "But, since you want your stuff soo bad, then let me get it for you! " He snatched up Kiyotaka's backpack and threw it as hard as he could at him, knocking a little bit of the wind out of his lungs as it collided with his chest and hit the floor. Kiyotaka stumbled back a little, not hurt but in shock. After a second he let out a small "Thank you" and picked his things up. "Let's go... "

Another low growl, his muscles starting to visibly tense, his eye twitching in pure anger as he was about to move his arm to swing- being stopped by the sound of the other boy's voice, the biker glanced in his general direction, seeming to be frozen like a statue for a second or two before he dropped his arms to his sides. "...Yeah, s'not worth it anyways..."

"I appreciate your concern, though." He sweetly replied, as he gently tugged on the black sleeve of Mondo's jacket in a motion to follow him. As they made it to the door, Ishimaru spoke up. "Do you take the subway home? If so, perhaps we could ride together!! "

"Not... normally, but..." He found himself glancing over his shoulder as he walked along, before quietly sighing and looking forwards again. "I'll ride wi' ya tonight. Just to make sure assholes like 'I'm don't come an' bother ya again." Which means he'd probably have to ride the subway again in the morning, since he would have left his bike at school. He silently hoped no one dared to lay a finger on his bike throughout the night.

"Are you sure? I mean, do you even know what stop you'd get off of? " Halting, a pair of ravishing red roses met a pair of lovely lilac lilies. "I do not wish to cause you any trouble you know. "

"...Nah, s'fine. Ya shouldn't worry so much." He gave a light and playful punch to the other's arm, laughing slightly before pausing and staring again at his eyes. They really were something Mondo had never seen before... argh, dammit, no! He struggled to tear his gaze away and carried on walking, muttering slightly to himself.

"Okay well, follow me." As they neared the door, he stopped yet again. "Wait, do you have a scarf? It's awfully cold outside right now, and I don't want you to get sick.... It looks to me like you don't.... Here, take my extra one. " He carefully wrapped the dull, rust colored scarf around Mondo's neck as best as he could. And yes, he had to somewhat stand on his tippy toes to reach. When he was finished he took a step back to admire his work. "There, now we can go! " And with that, he pushed the front doors open to a harsh, icy wind stabbing in his face.

"Thanks, but, I'm good-" Too late. He blinked slowly in surprise, waiting until he was looking at the hall monitor's back to reach up and touch the scarf, still not sure if what just happened was real. Though the wind blowing at the tail of his coat brought him out of the half-trance he was in, looking up and shivering slightly as he made his way outside, sighing once more, trying to calm himself down... for whatever reason.

Ishimaru shivered violently, even though he was wearing a jacket over his uniform. "Thank goodness the subway is only a few blocks away! " Teeth chattered, face gone pink from the cold. 

Eventually he made his way into the subway station, sighing in relief as he hurriedly pulled himself in. He's not exactly the best with maintaining body heat. Several minutes later, both Mondo AND Kiyotaka were waiting for the next train. "Th-thank you for t-t-today, mondo. " He stuttered, unable to control his voice in the cold.

He had watched the boy shiver in the cold for a good few minutes now, not counting their journey to the station. Muttering to himself at how bad of an idea this was, the biker slid his jacket off of his shoulder's and placed in on top of Ishimaru's, giving him an extra layer. And then, with that, he refused to look in his direction, hands firmly in the pockets of his pants.

Ishimaru let out a noise of surprise, but he nuzzled into the jacket. "Th-thank you, Mondo!! " He exclaimed, nudging Mondo's arm. For a few more minutes, they waited in silence. Then the train finally came. "L-lets go get a seat, yeah? "

Mondo took a moment to glance back at the slight nudge, but only for a moment. He just wanted to get this over with now. Something wasn't... right. Something he couldn't quite think of right now. He was taking some time every minute or so to think what this strange feeling was, and he was so deep in thought he almost missed the train arriving. "Oh, er, yeah... let's do that."

Ishimaru found a nice empty section away from most of the other people, and sat down. He pat the seat beside him with much less energy than before. "Here, sit here! "

"Yeah yeah, gimme a damn second." After pushing through a bit of the crowd he took his seat, instantly slouching, his back sliding down slightly against the seat.

Ishimaru's eyelids were beginning to feel quite heavy, so he tried to keep himself distracted. "Hey.............. So, what made you decide to helpr earlier? I mean, sure I was crying but...I've noticed you don't quite like me. What with all the...less than favorable meetings we've had in the past, I'd figure you'd have just ignored me. "

"...I'm not an asshole, yeah? Not gonna let some guy just cry in the halls just 'cos of past encounters or whatever." He said this all with closed eyes, head titled back and resting against the window. "Look. Yer a decent dude, despite how much of a hardass ya are. So, there ya go."

Ishimaru frowned at the word 'hardass'. Why did everybody refer to him as that? He looked away from Mondo, letting his eyelids flutter closed. "I suppose you have a point.." For a second, everything was silent and he almost fell asleep. He shook his head. "Um, that's a first. I've never heard I'm "decent" before. "

"Well ya are. ...Ya get things done. Quicker than most of the other assholes in our class, hell, in our entire damn school." Lightly opening one eye, a violet iris traced it's way over to him. "Seriously. You ain't half bad at times."

Ishimaru was getting visibly flustered, staring hard at the floor of the train. He didn't know how to respond; how does one even respond to something like that?? He hadn't the slightest clue. His eyelids shut once again and he started to drop forward a little, but he yanked himself back up. Crying, added onto the cold then warmth he now felt, it was making him even more tired. Did he drool? Probably. Did he care? Nope. He slowly swayed with the trains movement, eyes staying closed.

Mondo laughed a little, gently giving Ishimaru a shove with his elbow, before going back to silently sitting with his eyes closed, arms raising to support the back of his head resting against the window.

ishimaru barely registered the sound of his laughter as he swayed, everything shutting down. He leaned towards Mondo one last time and.... 

He had fallen into Mondo's lap and was out cold. Oops.


	3. Delightful Disaster

Well that certainly got him to pay attention again. Eyes flying open and sitting up straight, he looked down at the now unconscious hall monitor in surprise and sheer embarrassment, unsure whether to just leave him there or push him off. ...Neither. As gently as someone like him could, he placed a hand on Ishimaru's shoulder and gave it a light shake. "...Ishimaru? ...Taka? Dude, c'mon..."

Ishimaru groaned and furrowed his eyebrows a little, muttering something incoherent but turned his head a little. "no" he simply replied. He didn't wake up, he was far too tired. He curled up in a little ball, although his head remained on Mondo's lap. Now, he was curled under Mondo's jacket as if it were a blanket. How adorable!

Almost too adorable for Mondo to bear. Covering his face with one hand, glancing around to make sure no one he knew could see his blushing face, he gave Ishimaru another light shake in desperation. "I dunno where we 'ave to get off, I kinda need ya to be awake for that..."

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmhhhh....... " He whined, nuzzling into Mondo's lap. He rolled his head over a little, Now resting it against Mondo's stomach...sort of. He stayed just like that, a miniscule smile on his face as he slept.

Oh boy, there was that smile again. Once again confirming his conflicting feelings, he finally pulled his arm away and let it loosen at his side. What was he supposed to do now?! He strained his neck to look behind him, at the cold city outside zooming by his window, now falling silent. Was it best to just let Ishimaru sleep? Probably. But was he going to? ...Probably.

Ishimaru drooled a little, the substance dribbling down his cheeks. He didnt mean for it to, though! In his sleep he brought his hand close to his face and clenched some fabric lightly in between his hands.   
.....

An hour and a half later, he finally stirred awake. Light seeped through his eyelids and he scrunched them shut, incredibly groggy. "Mmuh?? Where...am I?" He groaned. He turned to open his eyes to see what he was laying on.... A white shirt? Black pants?? What in the world was this? It hadn't yet clicked in his mind that what he was using as a pillow was, in fact, the one and only Mondo Oowada. "Who... what am I laying on, exactly..? " He mumbled aloud.

His eye cracked open at the sound of the other's voice, laughing a little. "Oh. So ya finally decided to wake up, huh? Took ya long enough." It was an understatement to say he hadn't moved the entire time. He was like a frozen statue.

He said nothing and blinked slowly several times. It took a minute for the last piece to fall in place, and when it did he shot up straight. "Ohu goodness! My apologies, Mondo! I didn't mean to fall asleep on you, I don't know what came over me!" The words spilled out from his mouth faster than he thought they could, face absolutely flushed and panicked.

It was hard to see from the angle he was looking down at Ishimaru from, but Mondo's face had not dropped a shade in bright pink for the entire hour. This was hella embarrassing. "Nah, s'fine, I guess..."

Ishimaru sat up properly, noticing he still had Mondo's coat on him. He wrapped himself in the absolutely huge coat, nuzzling down into it. "Um, do you want your coat back now? " Red stoplights stared at Mondo as if waiting to turn green. In other words, he was waiting for an answer.

"...Keep it until ya get home, I don't really need it as much as you."

"Oh, alright. Hey, you still have my scarf on! I thought for sure you'd take it off." A tone of honest surprise with a tint of happiness was obvious when he spoke. Genuinely surprised he still kept it on! "You can keep it until you have a scarf of your own. "

"Uh, ya sure? I mean, I don't wanna steal it or nothin'..."

"Er, you won't be stealing it. You were kind enough to let me borrow your jacket-which, by the way, is very comfy-so the least I can do is let you borrow my scarf. It's not much, but, I do hope you enjoy my gift! "

"...Sorta like a trade, then?" That sounded a lot better to him, at least. Made him feel less awkward about it.

"Yeah, exactly! " He twiddled with his thumbs under the coat. Silence fell into place again, before he spoke up. He refused to look Mondo in the eye as he said, "Um, if you don't mind, may I lean against you again? Uh, you were a really nice pillow. Of course I won't lay in your lap again but, if I'm correct we have a little ways to go before we come at my alternate stop."

"Eh? Oh, er... I... I guess I ain't got a problem with it." He looked away and sighed slightly, trying to calm himself down and nerves were slowly rising within him. No, don't shout. Don't do it.

"Alright." He was resting his head against Mondo's shoulder again. The jacket was turned somewhat sideways so that they could somewhat share the jacket with Mondo. "Are you sure you'll know your way home? I don't want to have you get lost, so if you'd like to come stay over at my place. "

"Are ya sure? I'm pretty sure I can find my way around, s'not that hard." After all, he's probably been around the whole city with his gang at least twice before. A little bit of wandering around wouldn't be so bad.

"I mean, I'm pretty sure. I just do not know how I can thank you properly! Besides, it is incredibly dangerous at night!! Don't you know that, Mondo? "

"Of course I know that, I've been at there at night. S'not a fun time." Falling silent for a moment or two, he finally dared to glance back to look at Ishimaru, now resting against his shoulder. "Look. I'm fine. Ya don't have to worry 'bout me, yeah?"

"Okay, I guess.. " He sighed, and furrowed his eyebrows. The subway began to pull to a stop. "c'mon, let's go, this is our spot! "

Mondo nodded and fixed the scarf that was still wrapped around his neck, slowly sliding across the seat to be able to stand to his feet with ease, though he didn't actually make a way for the door until Ishimaru stood up too. After all, he had no idea where he was going without him.

Glancing back to Mondo, he put his coat back on him. "You need this more than me right now. " He sorta muttered, turning to step out. He let the cold hurt him, and he shivered a little at first, but stuck to Mondo's side for warmth. "Sorry, I hope this is okay with you. " Soon enough, they made it to the street levels once again, and he made his way towards his house, pausing for a goodbye. Was now the time to say farewell? He didn't know, but still did. "See you tomorrow, then? "

He didn't protest at all, only glancing to the shorter boy every so often as they walk, resisting the sudden urge to pull him closer with an arm wrapped around his shoulders... fixing the jacket that simply rests on his shoulders, sleeves hanging empty at either side. It was so nice, just the two of them walking... but all good things come to an end. "Oh? Oh. Er... yeah. I guess so." Mondo paused and just watched him go, a hand slipping into his pocket, exposed arms shivering under his jacket.

He resisted the urge to thank him yet AGAIN, or to hug him, or anything. it was admittedly difficult. "Okay, goodbye Mondo." Ishimaru turned on his heel, and began walking to his house. It would take him longer than usual to walk as this was a path he rarely used, but he supposed he deserved it for falling asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ishimaru experiencing some major self esteem issues and an anxiety attack. Also Buckle up kiddies we're going on a feels trip

The next morning, Kiyotaka was up, bright eyed and bushy eyebrow'd. He arrived at the sub station, rather early as per usual. He was waiting for the train to come, and when it pulled into the station he stepped on. Among the faces, he was sure he saw Mondo's. He didn't know if his eyes were decieving him or not, so he stayed put. That is, until he was accidentally shoved back and hit another person. He braced himself for a harsh impact.

True to his word, due to leaving his bike at the school he'd have to take the subway again, only he was online this time. It wasn't the same as the day before though. It wasn't as... exciting, if you could even call something like this exciting?? With a gruff sigh, he kept eyes peeled for a seat, until come commotion just behind him caused him to turn- and there he was. He dared to smile to himself before realising what was going to happen, and with a harsh shove of a few people, he managed to grab Ishimaru's wrist and then pull him to his feet. "...Mornin' to you, too."

Ishimaru flushed brightly. "Thank you (again) Mondo. Oh wait, good morning!" He rambled on, and then stood up. "How has your morning been? Good, I hope! Did you get enough rest? " He tried to ignore the lingering ghost of Mondo's touch ln his hands but only caused him to get more flustered.

"Yeah, 'course. What 'bout you? Ya sleep well?" He quickly shoved his hand out of sight, just so he could run his fingers over one another in order to recover that feeling that happened just moments ago. It was a nice feeling, strangely.

"Yes, thank you for asking!" Truth be told, he didn't get all that much sleep. He was too busy thinking about the days events, but he got enough that he could function well. "I didn't think we'd see each other this soon! I mean, I know you have to ride the subway today, but the odds of us meeting like this didn't seem to be that high! "

"Yeah, pretty damn lucky, right? Heh... s'fine though. I don't mind." How daring he was feeling as he smiled again, only meaning to be to himself but... it was plain to see he was happy about this.

Kiyotaka laughed like the sound of tiny bells tinkling; shy and in a short burst. "Well, well, well! You certainly seem happier than you were yesterday. What has gotten you in such high spirits, if I may ask?"

"Ack, er, n-nothin'... doesn't matter." Shit, not what he wanted. He suppressed his smile but still had the same fluttery feeling in his chest that he'd had since their first encounter the day before.

"Oh, okay. You know how you have some classes with me? Well, I was thinking, maybe if you actually went to class you could sit by me. I could even help you with the work." Kiyotaka blurted out, staring at Mondo's chest. He really was built, wasn't he?.. No, Kiyo, stop that this instant. You shouldn't be thinking of your classmate in such a way. 

"Eh, I'm not gonna do that. Don't wanna be any trouble." Especially after everything that happened yesterday. Gaze trailing back, he noticed the hall monitors fixation and quickly looked away again, cheeks flushing, though he said nothing in protest.

Two giant red apples flickered up to meet the biker filled with confusion. "Trouble? How would you have been any trouble? If anything, I'm sure you'll only have a little work to do." Was he making sense? Probably not. Did he care? Sort of. Was he gonna try to fix what he just said?..... Probably not. Ishimaru felt another push to his back and he fell forward again. His arms shot out almost mechanically. This time he latched onto the nearest thing as tight as he could..to open his eyes to find he was hugging Mondo. Again.

￼

"Ya sure? 'Cos I don't wanna distract you from anythin'-" And there it was, another hug. Just like before, Mondo clammed up into silence, shoulders and posture stiffening in surprise... though to a lesser extent than last time.

"M-m-my bad, Mondo! I don't know why this keeps happening! " He worriedly explained, though he hadn't let go of Mondo yet. "You wouldn't distract me. I know everything there is to know about everything, so it's kind of like review."

He only gave a slight nod in response, before quietly sighing to himself and closing his eyes. Mentally psyching himself up. Alright, you can do this, it's easy just... calm down a little. Eyes slowly opening, and a violet gaze looked down to see that the hug still hadn't stopped. "E-eh, I guess s'fine then... if yer r-really sure." It was so hard to suppress his natural nervous reaction that his voice was shaking.

A frown grew on his face as he heard Mondo's voice shake. What was he so scared about? Well, probably the hug. He seemed to sound unwell so he let go of Mondo's waist to tug Mondo down to his height as much as he could. "Are you alright, Mondo? Is there any way I can help assist you?" Good job, Taka, going into Ishimomma mode.

"I-I'm fine! Fine!" Oh no, his voice was beginning to raise in volume. He glanced to either side of him to make sure no one was staring before he sighed, trying to focus on not being so wound up. "...I'm fine. Seriously, ya gotta stop worrying so much 'bout me. Worry 'bout yerself a lil' more, yeah?"

"Okay, I'll try to. I was worried you might've gotten sick there at first. " His concern washed away and his shoes became interesting. His eyebrows narrowed as he thought long and hard about what to say next, which he somewhat quietly stated. "I just don't know if I'm being a good friend. Or how friendships work in general. I've never really......had..any friends before, and I'm just worried I might lose you is all. After all, we are 'friends', right? Isn't it normal for friends to worry about each other?"

"...Yeah, but ya gotta think about yerself too sometimes." Oh shit, had he hurt his feelings? Sure looked like it. And normally while Mondo wouldn't care that much, this time... it was different. Was it because of past experiences? Yes. And what about that thing he just talked about? Yeah, that probably had something to do with it. "...Thanks though, Taka. It means a lot."

A small smile was lost as soon as it came on,as if a camera had flashed to take a picture. He mumbled a small 'thank you' and didn't say another word for the rest of the trip. 

Finally, the sub doors opened, and Taka motioned for Mondo to follow as he got off. "You ready to go, Oowada?"

...OK yeah, he'd definitely done something wrong. Mondo just nodded in response, not saying anything as he stepped out onto the platform, hands in his pockets and his eyes mainly focusing on the floor.

Kiyo glanced between his very interesting shoes and Mondo. He bit his lip again, and slowly shuffled closer and closer to Mondo. He decided maybe it was best not to get closer to him this time, but they were almost touching. It would be so easy to grab his hand.... But he wouldn't. He couldn't. Not without permission, at least. He hummed himself a tiny tune about blank homework, though he couldn't reach the higher notes-not even when humming. He noticed the school coming up ahead, and he quickened his pace a tiny amount.

The scenery around them had never been so interesting. Well, not really. He really just didn't want to glance to the student walking so close to him. Cold sweat stuck to his forehead as he swallowed his pride, slowly moving his hand to the other's that was so close. This was a bad idea. It was a bad idea and he knew it. ...But it was worth a shot, right?

Ishimaru felt his hand touch Mondo's, and as it did he resisted the urge to flinch in surprise. Nevertheless, he let Mondo hold his hand and, surprising even himself, he gripped back even tighter. A smile whose light rivalled a million bright fire flies emerged at a lento speed, pink flushed cheeks accompanying the endearing expression. The kid looked like he had just won the lottery.

...Wait, they were still holding hands? He didn't pull away? At first, though he didn't look towards his new friend, he couldn't suppress a grin, happy that at least it wasn't an instant rejection. But then... it sunk in. They were walking to the academy. Together. Holding hands. In public. Probably while their classmates were coming into school. ...That would be mortifying, if he got caught by anyone else in his class. But instead of pulling away... he gripped tighter. It was odd, but it made him feel... a little safer?

Ishimaru had slowed down his pace significantly, trying to make the whole ordeal last as long as he could. He was incredibly close to Mondo by now, still having a simper look to his features. He looked up at Mondo, eyes twinkling like a thousand stars in the night. "I must say, I really enjoy this Mondo."

"Yeah, s-same..." Oh god, did he actually say that. Get it together, you goddamn idiot!! Biting the inside of his cheek to stop any outbursts, it was a challenge just to look to the other side of him. And even more so not to look away when he saw eyes of sparkling scarlet staring back at him. Mondo's face quickly matched the colour he saw, but still, he forced a smile, albeit a small one.

Ishimaru laughed a little, and turned his face back forward. He was practically resting his head on Mondo's arm, letting out a content (though still small) sigh. "I wish I could do this sort of thing everyday.." Ishimaru murmured to himself, as the school kept approaching. He desperately didn't want this to end, and he didn't know why. Why do I like this so much? Why does my stomach feel so funny? Why are my cheeks so hot? Why is my pulse so fast? He didn't understand any of what he was feeling, and he tried to push the increasingly dreadful thoughts away. Needless to say, it didn't work.

And now they were even closer. If his face could glow any brighter, it just did. Oh god, what was even happening anymore?! It was foreign and new and Mondo hated it, but at the same time, it was... exciting? Maybe that was why the small smile of satisfaction never left his face, though inside he was screaming. Screaming to just stop. But everything else was in disagreement. And then he only just caught those words. 'I wish I could do this sort of thing everyday', he said. And without thinking, the biker replied with; "Yeah... me too..." and though it was quiet, it was still audible. He probably didn't even realise what he's said either, he was so out of it with his conflicting feelings.

Ishimaru was legitimately baffled that Mondo felt the same, but he said nothing. Why do I have the urge to be so affectionate all of a sudden? Snap out of it, Kiyo!! This is so unlike you! He's probably only doing this because he feels sorry for you, get over yourself! There his thoughts went, degrading himself yet again. His smile flickered and dimmed like a flame to a lamp as negative thoughts burned in his head, but still managed to shine with an astonishing radiance. They weren't far from the school now, and Kiyotaka only gripped Mondo's hand harder, as if to say Please don't let go. Not yet.

Mondo noticed the dampening expression out of the corner of his eye, and he subconsciously imitated the action, but the biggest tell was how there was a light squeeze of their interlocked hands, one that was prolonged and noticeable. ...Did he really want to stay like this? Of course, though he wasn't going to admit it to himself, much less anyone else, Mondo did not want to pull away, even if it meant people saw them. Although people seeing them was still a pretty big alarm bell. So, with a moment's hesitation, he gripped a little tighter, hoping to be reassuring.

Ishimaru felt the squeeze and gave a pitiful smile, full of anxiety and dread. Why? He had no clue. He carefully brushed circles and stars and hearts and many other shapes across Mondo's hand via his own thumb. He kept scolding himself, gradually turning to things such as Stop wallowing in self pity. It gets you nowhere. Look at what you're doing, bringing Mondo down. Stop being such a selfish baby. Wow, his thoughts sure could get really mean sometimes. He looked at Mondo's arm and managed to burrow his way in between his arm and his side, so that Mondo was now pretty much hugging him by his side. He let out a barely audible whimper as his anxiety rose, trying to calm himself down. He felt so childish for having an anxiety attack from something as simple as a degrading view on himself, but that didn't stop him from being hyper aware of everything and over thinking all the actions he performed up to this point. 

Mondo was totally clueless about what was going on inside Ishimaru's head, but it was plain to see whatever it was wasn't doing him any good. He stopped them both from walking only a little way away from the gates of the academy, the entire time not letting go. And once they had stopped, he turned and started to hug him fully, gritting his teeth and hoping the worst wasn't going to happen. The one time he is the first to show affection better not end in failure.

Rubicund eyes widened for a moment but he squeezed them shut soon after. He hugged back as hard as he could, nestling his face into Mondo's chest. He took several deep breaths. Breath in, 1...2...3.... breath out, 1..2..3... he mentally repeated to himself. It wasn't often he got panic attacks, but when they did they usually hit hard. This was one of the lesser harsh ones he has had, so he was forever grateful that it was only minor. Kiyotaka stood this way for what felt like an eternity to him, just breathing in and out, in and out, in and out. Some time later, he heard the sound of passerby students, pointing with hushed laughter or whispers. He didn't care. "Sometimes my thoughts get rather....Mean.. " Was all he said with a half genuine smile.

"Eh. If it happens again tell me. I'll kick their ass, yeah?" It was meant to be a joke, but it was a partial truth. He really didn't want to have to watch someone go through anything negative, he knew all too well how it felt after... events that happened that he would never speak of again.

"Please do. " He chuckled a little, two gems gradually regaining their sparkle again. "They like to keep me in check, but their methods aren't exactly the best..haha.. " Yeah, but you only think that because you're too stupid to learn anything! You won't even try! At that thought he visibly winced and cringed, but shook his head. "We should probably go into the school now, yes? "

"Oh yeah, 'course." But he didn't move. He wanted Ishimaru to start walking first. Because he was pretty sure at least someone has seen them and he had to be ready to take action against any assholes.

Hesitantly, Kiyotaka intertwined his fingers with Mondo's once more. At this point, he really didn't care if he was breaking school rules, he just wanted something to hold. No, he didn't want something; he needed something. It would assure him and make him feel safer. He made his way towards the inner school, ignoring everybody as much as he could. Truth be told, his thoughts were still attacking him, but it was easier to hide it. He didn't need to be troubling Mondo any more than he's already done. Besides.. The lingering feeling of Mondo's hug had started taking over his mind. He could still feel the warmth and smell the motorcycle-y smell. He frowned at himself. What is wrong with me? Why can't I be normal? Why am I such a..a freak? Shut up Kiyo, you're being a crybaby again. Shame on you. And only then did he realize he had blurted out those last thoughts. He really hoped Mondo didn't hear him, but with his luck he probably did. He covered his mouth and looked away trying to 'play it off', as the other kids say.

Though he didn't say anything, Mondo heard every word and was frowning slightly. Memories of unspoken events were coming back to him, remembering how he felt so similar, but he kept pushing them further and further into the back of his mind. There wasn't any need for that now. Letting go of Ishimaru's hand, Mondo wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him along closely as they walked, together.

"Huh?" Ishimaru softly exclaimed, the feeling of his hand leaving his own making him surprised. He tried to copy Mondo's actions but found he was much too short. OOOOF course. Way to go you white smurf. Oh my god, did I just call myself a white smurf? He burst into a weary fit of laughter at his childish self insult. A smurf! A smurf of all things! He wrapped his arm around Mondo's waist instead, as he couldn't reach Mondo's shoulders. His thinking process was getting better, since the smurf thing happened. Clouded, dull garnets glanced up to Mondo. "My apologies for my rapid change in behavior. Lately, I've been feeling less than optimal. Er, if that even makes any sense, that is. My emotions are out of order and, well, I need to suck it up and get them back in check. I can't be the hall monitor if I'm too busy crying! "

"...Don't worry 'bout it. Yer still you, after all. Doesn't really change that." He glanced over and smirked slightly, despite the lump in his throat and the urge to scream. This was the longest he'd gone without scaring someone off with nervous tendencies... an amazing achievement.

Ishimaru began repeating a mantra to himself. 'cheer up, do it for him'. Probably something like that. He leaned into Mondo's touch, visibly and very much loving the attention he was receiving. "Did you know you're really good at helping people calm down? At least, you helped calm me down quicker than I ever could on my own. And I must sound like a broken record by now, but thank you so much. " A warm, tender smile was now looking up to Mondo.

"Eh, never knew that, s'not really my thing. But... I'm happy ya doin' better now, thanks to me. And thanks to me, of all people." He couldn't help but laugh a little - after all, he was probably the worst person to ask when it came to calming down and dealing with emotional problems, but this time... he kind of just... acted on an unspoken instinct, of sorts, one that had been laying dormant until it was really needed. He noticed the bright smile on Ishimaru's face and returned it with one of his own, which was a rare sight.

Ishimaru flushed a brighter pink, cocking his head to the side. "You have a very pretty smile, you know. You should try smiling more often. " He thought aloud, reaching up with his free hand to point at Mondo's smile.

"...Eh?!" Oh gosh, what?? His smile dropped immediately with his cheeks lighting up and glowing like beacons of embarrassment. No one had ever said anything like that to him before! It was... strange. And nice, he though. Especially considering who it was coming from. "...T-thanks. Yer smile is... kinda cute as well, I guess."

If his smile could get any wider, it would break his face. His face hurt from such a wide smile and it almost made him look happy to the point of impossibility. "Oh my, I've never been told my smile is cute! I've been told it wasn't that great and I should smile less but... You.. I can't help but smile around you. You sure know how to brighten up anybody's day." He took his lingering hand from the biker's face and wrapped it around the front of Mondo's waist.

"...Ya sure know how to make a man feel good, don't'cha?" Of course, most of the time he couldn't take compliments well but this was fair beyond anything he ever experienced before. He was beyond the realm of embarrassed... and was actually staring to feel quite proud of himself.

"Do I, now? " Ishimaru quirked an eyebrow, smile never leaving his face. "Well I'm glad you feel good. You deserve to." They made it to Ishimaru's locker, which was drawn on and decorated with... less than appropriate figures. He frowned at the locker, and continued to pass it by. "You're in my homeroom, right? "

"Oh, yeah." Mondo kept staring at the defaced locker, frowning slightly. That was another thing he had to take care of at some point. Man, some kids in this school had a death wish.

"Do you know what this means?! " Ishimaru suddenly shouted excitedly. "We could stay like this for a little longer! " He really was an excitable child, wasn't he? "What lunch do you have? "

"Wah! Geez dude, keep yer voice down." He wouldn't admit it, but the sudden shouting had scared him a little bit, causing him to shout in response. Great. With a light sigh, he recovered most of his composure. "I dunno... Don't normally eat 'til I go home..."

"What?! Mondo, shame on you! That isn't good for your health. I always eat what I make in food prep for lunch. I'm going to share it with you whether you like it or not!" He eagerly shouted back, though a little less loud than before. "I have food prep for third period, and I have lunch fourth. Where would you like to meet? "

Wow, now he was trying to feed him? What was he, his mom? It was hard to suppress a laugh at the thought. "I dunno, wherever's best for you."

"Oh goodness, I.. usually eat alone. Uh, so I'll be waiting in the food prep room. It's room C-108. Got it?"

"Got it." How sweet. This guy really was too cute for his own good.

"That aside, I have gym for second period, and math first. How about you? "

"Dunno, don't care. Probably not gonna go, like normal."

"Mondo. " Kiyotaka warned, glancing up to Mondo. "You said you'd go today. Come on, do it for me? Just this once? "

"...Tsh, fine. For you, I guess I'll do it." Though he really didn't want to. He had other things to do. Like... hang around with the gang. Yeah.

Ishimaru smiled once again. "Better. Just follow me to all my classes, I'll help with what you need to know. Did you bring gym clothes? "

"They're probably still in my locker. Never took 'em home."

"I suggest getting them out, then. " He ushered Mondo towards his locker. "Go on, out with you. Go get your clothes. Hurry, before we are late to homeroom. "

"Look, you can go on without me, alright? I'm not gonna just run off without ya, am I?" He quickly opened up his locker and began rummaging around the small amount of things that were in there.

Ishimaru hesitantly stood for a second, before ultimately walking off to his homeroom.

That kid from yesterday, the smarmy brat who ruined the pottery class, approached Mondo. "What're you still hanging out with crybrows for, eh? I'm honestly curious. He's so nerdy and such a hardass, how can you stand him?"

"'Cos I'm not a bratty piece of shit like you. Now would ya mind just... turning around and fuckin' off?" He didn't even lift his head out of his locker, voice echoing with a clearly irritated tone. And he was a lot more vulgar now. Probably because he was dealing with someone he had decided he hated.

"...Dont tell me that the Mondo Oowada, leader of Japan's biggest motorcycle gang The Crazy Diamonds, is actually friends with the stupid hall monitor of all people. " The kid started to laugh, almost to tears. "That's priceless! You two probably won't be friends for long, you scare away literally everybody you meet. Haha, knowing how much of a pansy that small dude is you guys will be over your little 'relationship' in no time. " He laughed again, slowly sashaying towards a nearby room. Why was the idea so funny to him?

Mondo paused, dropping the book he thought long lost into the pile of insignificance sitting at the bottom of his locker to stand and turn to watch the kid go. He had a half mind to go and kick his ass into the ground but... then he couldn't keep his promise... and that was one of the most important things to him. Finally spotting his gym clothes tossed at the back of his locker, he quickly grabbed them, slammed his locker shut and headed for homeroom.


	5. Chapter 5

When Ishimaru saw Mondo entering the room, he waved excitedly. "Here, over here!" He smiled, even though everybody was giving him an odd look. He was by the window, watching a little cat outside play.

Slightly quickening his pace, Mondo made his way over and lent against the windowsill, glancing in between the outside and the student who seemed to enjoy watching it.

"Look, it's a tiny kitty!... I wish I could have it, poor thing must not have a home.. " He sighed to himself, watching the cat happily. And.... What was that? "Mondo, hey! Is that a puppy? I think I just saw a puppy out there! " He gasped, pointing at the tiny dog behind the cat. "How in the world did a puppy get here?! " Sure enough, there was a tiny brown and black puppy, just trotting around the track. Ishimaru was bug eyed, just watching in disbelief. "That puppy actually...... looks kind of like you, Mondo. Speaking of animals, do you have any pets? I don't, but I wish I could. If I could have one I'd probably get.... a bunny, or maybe a hamster. "

If you looked closely, you could see a small twinkle in his eye and a slight smile on his face that slowly grew as he watched the puppy. He didn't seem to hear at first, only watching the tiny thing bounce around outside. "...Huh? E-eh..." Crap. He turned away from window, coughing slightly to draw any attention away from his fascination with the tiny puppy. "I... had a dog, once. Was a real cute dog too, but..." Not bothering to even finish his sentence, he only sighed.

Ishimaru was entranced by that small smile, unable to tear his eyes away. He had to force himself to stop staring, so he turned back to watch the two animals. "What kind of dog was it, if I may ask?" Ishimaru's eyes glanced up to meet Mondo. He kept watching the cat and dog play around, though.

"Labrador cross, I think. Had gold coloured fur that we always had to brush 'cos it was long and wirey." He couldn't help but look back at the two animals playing outside. They were adorable, though it was that dog he really payed attention to.

" ...You really like that dog, don't you? " Ishimaru murmured to himself. "What would you say to having another puppy? If you, uh, want one. " This was a horrible idea, but perhaps this is how he could make it up to him. Yes, thats it. He'd get him a new pet.

"W-what? I... I dunno..." It was true, he wanted another puppy more than anything else he wanted and could have, but... "...After last time, I'm not so sure it's gonna be alright... I don't wanna hurt it or nothin'..."

"Mondo, it's obvious you really care for that dog already. And if you'd like I could help take care of it! Kind of like being parents!" Wait. Ishimaru just realized what he said. Hoo boy. His face went red from some embarrassment. "That..didnt come out right. "

"Yeah... not at all..." Despite his face going the same shade, Mondo only laughed. It was a cute little slip up, in his opinion, even if the thought was embarrassing. "...I suppose if ya really wanna help out... It'd be pretty stupid of me to say no..."

"Okay! Don't you worry, I'll catch that puppy during gym class!" He shouted nervously, giving a military-esque salute. The bell signalled the end of homeroom. "Okay, it's time for math. Would you be interested in coming along? "

...He'd gone back to looking at the puppy playing, smiling softly again as he watched it jump around and do a little yap of happiness... He wasn't going to move anytime soon, probably, unless he was forced to.

Ishimaru shook his head, deciding it was best if he left him there for now. He picked up his things and left the room, heading towards his math classroom. 

45 minutes later, it was time for gym. Kiyotaka had just gotten changed into his gym clothes, and was looking around for Mondo. When he spotted him in his gym clothing, he grinned wildly. "Hey, Mondo! Come on, let us go stretch before we head outside! " He tugged excitedly on Mondo's hand.

It had taken far too long to pry himself away from the window. By the time he realised he was alone, it was already half way through the first lesson. That was kind of annoying, but at least he had more time to do things that were clearly more important. Though he made note to listen for the classes speaking loudly in the hallways, as that would signal it was time to go.

After getting changed for gym in a quiet space of his own, Mondo waited to be collected in a pretty open space, and alas, the time came quickly. He spotted Ishimaru and gave a quick wave, unable to say hello before he was quickly tugged on by the hand. "Whoa, uh, sure, I guess. Just slow down a little, yeah?"

Ishimaru nodded and slowed down, just as Mondo had requested. "Do you have your own stretching routine or would you like me to teach you mine? "

"I could probably do my own, but... go ahead. I'll let ya teach me."

"Okay just follow my lead. First, I like to start with the arm stretches. Pull one across your chest and have the other pull it back, do that for 5 seconds each. Do this about 3 times okay? " He stretched as he spoke, happiness incredibly obvious in his voice. He was just thrilled Mondo was here. "And after you finish that, try bending down and touching your toes, like this! " He demonstrated, touching his toes with a little difficulty. He went on a few more stretches babbling as he performed them. "Do I need to repeat any of that for you?"

"...Uh... no. No, I got it." To be honest, it was a little hard to concentrate, so he was looking away for very good reason. Though he made sure to pay attention to what was being said, and copied the movements described as best he could. Oh god dammit, why did he have to think like that now, of all times?!

"Alright, you ready? I think I'm ready to go! " He grinned at Mondo again, stretching his hands above his head. A small pop could be heard as he stretched, and then he proceeded to shake himself. "I'm going to get that puppy for you even if it's the last thing I ever do. "

"Wait what? We're... actually gonna try an' get that puppy?" He looked back with an expression of confusion, before he slowly got more into the idea. Yeah... that puppy was cute enough, sure, why not? So, with a grin, he nodded and grabbed hold of Ishimaru's wrist, actually taking the initiative for once and dragging him along. If they didn't hurry up, the puppy might be gone!

Ishimaru yelped in surprise at first, though he allowed Mondo to drag him along. When they got outside, Ishimaru scanned the outdoor area. Was he on the track?....no.........concrete? No.. And then he spotted him. The tiny fluffball was rolling in the muddy grass. "Mondo, I think that's the puppy! I think that's it, playing in the mud! " He excitedly pointed.

Oh my god. Once he saw the puppy again, you could see him shaking slightly in excitement. He hadn't had a dog since, well, the accident with his last one... and now that he knew that there was a lower chance of anything happening to it, he was getting very excited.

Ishimaru expertly twisted his hand from Mondo's, and started running after the dog. Unfortunately, the puppy took that as a sign of being playful. So Ishimaru had one heck of a time chasing him. Quickly he kept lunging after the dog, falling into the mud many times. He even tripped over his own feet! He was a horrible dog catcher but that didn't matter. After several minutes of chasing the dog, Ishimaru took in a deep breath and....he lunged for the dog. And caught it. "Mondo! I think we need to bath it before we do anything else! " Kiyotaka wearily called out.

"Oi, be careful with it, yeah?" After watching him run after the little thing - he should have mentioned that before, huh - for a short amount of time while laughing slightly to himself, he slowly jogged over and tugged the puppy out of the other's hands, being oddly gentle with the thing. Mondo glanced up after a second or two. "...You think this little guy needs a bath? Wait 'til ya see yerself."

"What do you mean, Mondo?" He cocked his head to the side in confusion before slowly pushing himself up. Then he saw it; he was practically caked in mud on his entire front half. He let out a groan of frustration. "I suppose I should go take a quick shower.. Ugh, it's all over my only pair of gym clothes! This is rather troublesome indeed...After I finish I could always help bathe the dog. Hey Mondo, do you think you could bring my clothes to me while I shower?"

"...Yeah, sure, I guess." He blinked slowly before looking down at the puppy in his arms, trying not the think too hard about what was just asked of him. Just look at the puppy, Mondo. Look at it.

"Alright, thank you! My clothes are in my locker. I'll be waiting!" He grinned happily, walking towards the indoor gym. Once in there, he walked towards the showers. Stripping down, he got into the shower and let the ice cold water hit him. He let a violent shiver loosebut didn't do much of anything else. 

Soon he was done, stepping out of the shower with the towel wrapped around his waist. "Mondo? Did you bring my clothes yet? "

"Uh... yeah! Yeah, here ya go-" WELP. He quickly handed over the clothes without a second glance, practically shoving them at the other before turning away fully, finally able to blush in peace. Was it the heat or the sight he just saw? Either was viable.

"Thank you! " He laughed heartily. He only put his underpants and pants on though before he stopped. "Mondo, is it alright if I leave my shirt off while we bathe the dog? I don't want to get my good clothes dirty again. "

"I mean if you wanna go ahead. I'm not gonna stop ya-" ...Oh. Realising what he just said, he quietly held his breath before sighing, placing his face hot from embarrassment into both of his hands.

Ishimaru didn't notice the slip-up and he just nodded. He motioned for mondo to follow him into the shower, the floor still incredibly cold from the shower Ishimaru just took. The cold water sticking to his head sent a cold chill down his spine so he grabbed his towel from around his neck. "Okay, give me a s-second. " He chattered, bending down a little. He took the towels and dried his hair via incredibly fast and harsh rubbing with it. He eventually stood back up, raven hair matted and sticking out every which way. "Okay, I'm ready to start." He turned on the water, and this time it was actually warm. He scoffed in disbelief-the water was a traitor! He patted the spot next to him where he wanted Mondo to be.

Trying not to think too hard about his accidental slip of the tongue, Mondo quickly shuffled over and stood where he was instructed, faking a blank expression when really he was screaming. Did he notice and not say anything? Unknown to him, it was fine, but the very thought was terrifying.

"Okay, who would you like to hold the puppy? Whoever doesn't will be doing the scrubbing. " He asked as he ran his hand through his hair, trying to untangle it some.

"Sure... considerin' how you held it earlier, s'probably for the best." Staring for a moment or two before shaking his head (get it together, Mondo!) he nodded to himself, as if to confirm his decision.

Kiyotaka nodded and gave a small smile. "May I have him, please?" He held out his arm expectantly.

Hesitating for a moment, Mondo glanced down at the puppy in his arms, which by now had curled up and fallen asleep, lightly yapping to itself. Then, as gently as he could, he passed it over to Ishimaru, never taking his eyes off of it the entire time.

Ishimaru held the puppy in his arms carefully as he got the showerhead to move down. He handed it to Oowada, and accidentally sprayed him in the face. Ishimaru went red from embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, Mondo! I didn't mean to ruin your hair!! "

...He stayed silent for a second or two, blinking in surprise before spitting out some of the water that got in his mouth. Behind the mass of damp curtains that covered his face, he was scowling, but was attempting to make a conscious effort not to freak out. "...S'fine. Just... gimme a sec." In a similar fashion to a dog, he shook his head quickly for a good few seconds, attempting to shake all the droplets out of his hair. Once he stopped, he huffed slightly, before brushing to entire thing to one side of his face, then finally taking the showerhead with one hand. "Let's just get this done as fast as we can, yeah?"

Ishimaru flinched at the words, but nodded. He just ruined something that probably took mondo HOURS to make, of course he'd be mad! He didn't say a word the entire time they bathed the puppy, though he was unable to keep his eyes off of Mondo's hair. Something about it just looked..... So.... Good..

It was at times like these he cursed himself for being so stubborn. 'I don't need to cut it, it'll be fine' he'd said, thinking that the only time he'd wear it down was when he was sleeping or showering. But nope. Being as careful as he could while washing the puppy, seeming to be very experienced, he kept glancing up. ...Judging by the look on Ishimaru's face and his silence, seemed the accident had left him a little... down, to put it simply. Not noticing the stare he was getting, Mondo's gaze returned to the puppy, as he gently started to coo at it to keep it calm. This is the SHSL Biker Gang Leader, by the way.

Ishimaru giggled a little at the cooing, but said nothing still. He could swear his face was getting redder and refer by the second. Eventually when they finished he was still staring at Mondo's hair, incredibly bright red by now. "Um......... I'm... Still sorry I ruined your hair but....... It does look nice. If that helps any... "

Mondo looked up with a small look of curiously at the complement, silently taking note of how red the boy was. "...Eh? Really? I was gonna say, sorry I look kinda like some hippy or whatever, but... thanks." Wow... that was nice. He smiled a little and let out a short, nervous laugh.

"You don't! If anything uh, I like how your face looks when your hair is down more. It makes your eyes a prettier purple than they already are. Uh! I mean--! "

Pretending not to hear his comment, Mondo laughed again, glancing away and down to the floor in hopes his now deflated hair would hide his burning cheeks. Dammit, why was he getting so flattered by his compliments?!

"Er,, maybe we should get going to third period.."

"Yeah, maybe..." Was it already that time? Did he not even have time to fix his hair before he went?! ...Well, if it looked good... maybe he didn't need to fix it.

Ishimaru put a hand up to Mondo's hair, running his fingers through it. "It's... Surprisingly soft too? Wow, your hair really IS nice! " He grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "Follow me. The next class I have is English. "

"Ah, er, yeah. Right behind ya." Crap, now he was more flustered. He couldn't go to class like this!! Maybe he could slip away to calm down a little... or maybe he could suck it up. He was on the fence about this.

"What English class level are you in? "

"...I dunno. Forgot."

"Seriously? How do you forget? "

"I never go, remember? S'not important to me."

Kiyotaka frowned. "I know but... Oh, it doesn't matter. You're here with me now, and that's all that matters. "

"...Yeah. Guess so." Oh gosh, was he overthinking things or was that super cute?? No. It was just cute anyway, no overthinking needed.

"Nobody really sits beside me, they don't think I am worthy of their presence so... Would it be alright if you sat with me? "

"Yeah, 'course it would."


	6. Chapter 6

Sure enough, there was an alarmingly specific blank area in the room where Kiyotaka sat in the front. He gave a pained smile, and looked over apologetically. "I'm sure you can tell where I sit, haha.... "

"...Yeah... Doesn't matter, though." Shrugging a little, Mondo pulled out an empty chair and sat down, slightly slouching against the back of it like he usually did.

"How would you like me to help you with where we are in the lesson by now? "

He shrugged again, twirling a bit of his hair around a finger. "In any way ya want, whatever's best fer you."

"Okay. By the way, here is your puppy child." He handed the puppy back to Mondo. "Usually I don't allow pets on the premises but... I'll make an exception for you. "

A small gasp escaped him as he laid the puppy gently in his lap, seeming completely absorbed by it.

Ishimaru let out a little laughter. "You really do think of him as a child don't you? "

"He's weak an' vulnerable. Someone's gotta substitute as his dad, right? To protect him."

"I guess. I suppose that means I'm the mom! " He joked. You could practically hear the crickets chirping.

...Wait, what?! Mondo glanced up, staring for a second or two before looking back down at the puppy again, face bright red in embarrassment. "...I-I mean... if ya wanna... He needs some kinda mom in his life to teach him... stuff, fuck if I know what moms do."

"Sure, W-Why not? " He replied, clearly shocked. "Um... They teach children rules and discipline... "

"Oh... yer gonna be perfect, then." He laughed weakly, not wanting to look up due to the blush on his face. So he just stared down at his puppy son and scratched behind his ears.

Well this got a little awkward a little quickly. "Ah, you really think? " But then he went pale. "wait a moment, I've never been a mom before! How am I going to be a good parent?! "

"Dude, shh! It'll be fine! ...Just... be yerself. That'll work."

"But myself is very rule eccentric. "

"Uhh... isn't that what a mom is...?"

".........touché.. " He turned back to have the front of the class. "Okay, clash is about to start. We should quiet down now. "

Mondo nodded, still slouched, trying his best to keep the puppy in his lap and not hyper. Right now, he was trying to nibble at the biker's finger.

A few minutes into class, a note hit Mondo in the back of the neck. It said, "Hey, wanna go out with me? ~ the person 3 seats back". Well, it was a very pretty girl at least. Testing his faithfulness to Kiyotaka.

He almost didn't take notice, too preoccupied with the puppy being a little demon in his lap. Though he finally did manage to pick it up, reading it as he held it in one hand. ...Wait, what? Mondo glanced back at the girl in question for a second or two, almost staring before he tore his eyes away. No... no, you can't be thinking about things like that, Mondo.

Another note was sent his way. "Either you or your cute nerd friend.~"

...Dammit. He didn't turn around again and instead actually tried to focus. Because if he didn't he would end up shouting, and that is not what anyone - most of all him - wanted.

The girl picked herself up after noticing he ignored her note. "Well? Whaddaya say, hotstuff? "

Ishimaru was confused. "What does she mean by 'hotstuff'? "

Oh god, no, no why him. Drumming his fingers against the desk furiously as he kept is eyes fixed on the front board, not even wanting to speak out of fear of causing a commotion.

"Don't you know a pretty girl when you see one? You might never get the chance to date me again! " She pouted, putting her hands on her lips as she spoke. She was making a mountain out of a molehill. Meanwhile, Kiyotaka froze at "boyfriend". Why did his mouth suddenly go so dry? And why was he sweating? He had no clue, all he knew was that he didn't like this one bit. "Um, Miss........ you're uh, distracting my friend.. " He said with a forced smile, the corners of his mouth twitching. He was obviously getting jealous.

Quickly, he shot a thankful glance over at Ishimaru, swallowing the urge to just tell her to piss off. He wasn't that much of an asshole. His forehead cold with sweat, Mondo kept his gaze at his knuckles, that were slowly going white as he begun to grip the table.

"C'mon, at least kiss me. I'll go away if you kiss me. " She taunted, leaning down to face him. Ishimaru subconciously let out a growl. "I said leave him alone. Go back to your seat." He narrowed his bright red eyes, looking angrier than usual. Why did he not like the idea of her being near him at all, he had no clue. "You are harassing him and you need to stop. Or else. "

"Or else what?" She snorted, mocking him. "Dude, you seriously became friends with this hardass of all people?" Ishimaru winced at the insult. "Do you let him boss you around like this? "

Wow, he must look really pathetic right now, huh. Noticing the boy sat next to him getting all worked up, Mondo himself growled. And then came that comment. The chair let out a loud screech as the biker pushed himself away from the table, putting the luckily sleeping puppy on the floor under it before standing up and most likely looking down to the girl. Alright, just settle this calmly- "Listen. I was givin' ya plenty of damn good times to back the fuck off, but now yer takin' it too far. I'm not gonna hit a girl, but I know people who don't follow that policy. So why don't ya listen to him and sit the fuck. Down." ...Or not. With the last segment being rather loudly spoken, unintentionally of course, he sat back down and lent to look under the desk, hoping to not have scared the puppy with his rude words.

The girl rolled her eyes and huffed. Such a brat, she was. "Whatever. You clearly must be insane to not like someone as goddess-like as I.. " She flipped her hair and kicked Kiyotaka's seat. He yelped involuntarily. "Tell your boyfriend to chill, will ya? " She spat, glaring at Taka. Taka went bright red. In a quiet voice, he said "Um... We aren't..... Dating.... "

Mondo quietly huffed from under the table before slowly pulling himself up, sitting straight for the first time since the lesson began. "...Hey. You alright?"

"Me? To be quite honest with you, no. I'm not. I don't understand the feelings I'm experiencing and it's been bothering me for awhile now. "

"Huh? What're you talkin' about? You gettin' sick or somethin'?"

"I don't know, maybe. They are such peculiar feelings though... Take for example, that girl just now... For some reason, I felt incredibly angry at her for harassing you? And I didn't like her at all. Especially not how she kept trying to get you to date her. For a moment I thought you two were dating and...... My chest felt really funny. Like it hurt very much, but not physically. This all must sound so childish, right? Ahaha. "

"...Nah, s'not childish... Thanks, though. For helpin' out." A glance to the floor. Though he wasn't going to say it, not just yet anyway, it was... a familiar feeling. Though with a few alterations to fit different situations. Being constantly rejected makes those feelings implant into your brain.

"It's not a problem! I'm just glad I could help!! I dont know what came over me, I felt like I had to.. Ward her away at all costs. She called me 'jealous'. Was I really being jealous? Is that what I was feeling? This so-called 'jealousy?'"

"...Yeah, maybe. I dunno, though." Liar. "...Fuck, now I'm just mad. Who does she think she is? Ugh, I wanna get out, I wanna do somethin'. Burn off the want to punch her in her smug-ass face."

"Please refrain from doing that!" Kiyotaka pretty much shouted. "And language, Mondo! We are in class! Just, at the least please focus on the puppy! " He turned back to his own work, burying his face in his hands. He did not feel okay at all. His emotions were all out of whack too. He let out a tired sigh, the redness never quite leaving his cheeks entirely. "....Lets focus on the lesson for now... okay?"

"...Eh... sure, whatever." Normally, being told what to do would really strike something with him and he'd be pissed off. But, unusually, that feeling wasn't as strong this time. He ducked under the table to grab the puppy with gentle hands, accidentally waking him up and causing it to yawn. And at that, he smiled a little, a rare smile, as he gently stroked his head.

There was that pretty smile again. "Good lord he looks really good.. " Ishimaru whispered under his breath, hardly able to focus. He tried his best however, and managed to make it through the lesson fairly okay. "It's time for food prep. If you'd like, you can come in and help or watch me cook! " Taka flashed a sheepish smile as he announced the options to Mondo. "Which would you like? "

"I'm... not the best at cookin'. Last time I tried I ended up nearly burnin' the whole kitchen down." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, wincing at the memory in embarrassment.

Ishimaru couldn't stifle a laugh, covering his mouth in a desperate attempt to stop laughing. "Okay well, you can just watch!! I'm okay with coming, but I'll try to make us both enough for for lunch! " He motioned for mondo to follow. "It's not that far away from here. Let's go. "

He looked up from his pocket, the small puppy now placed inside it very snugly with his paws hanging over the edge, before nodding and joining Ishimaru's side to follow him.

"Wow, your pockets are HUGE! " Taka exclaimed, pretty shocked. "Why do you need all that space? Spare parts? " He laughed at his own horrible joke again. "Anyways, here we are!" He opened the door and stepped inside. They were the first to the classroom, even though they got out at the same time as all the other classes. "Everybody in here has a partner to help and sit by them. Surprisingly, even I do! The boy is named Makoto Naegi. He's kind, but I don't think he really cares to talk to me." You think that about everybody. Hush. So? It's usually true. .....Touché.

"Well, uh, yer not exactly wrong about the pocket thing..." Hey, if he was way out on the road and his bike needed fixing, he had to be prepared, right? "I'm pretty sure he cares. I know him, he's a good kid. Little bit of a coward, but not too bad."

"Ah... Well if you say so. " He gets his apron, bandana, and everything g else he needed on, all ready to cook. His expression is so serious that it look sort of silly when added to the overall appearance of his. "Great! Okay, I'm ready to start!! ...i just gotta wait a few minutes for everybody else. " Naegi was the next one to walk in, a minute or two later. He waved enthusiastically at Mondo before he noticed Taka, and gave him a little less excited wave. "Hey Kiyotaka! Who's the new guy?"

A quick wave from Mondo before his eyes started to wander. He'd never been in this classroom before, so of course he was going to look around.

Kiyotaka smiled almost.... Lovingly? and gestured to Mondo. "This is Mondo Oowada! Surely you must know of him, right? "


	7. Motorcycle Mayhem I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> taka stutters alot and also is Apprently good at old timey traditional dancing.

Makoto let out a very surprised gasp. "Wait, Mondo? Why are you here?! I thought we'd never see you again! Oh boy, there HAS TO be an important reason why would be coming here to school, right? "

"Eh? Oh, yeah, I just got accepted for whatever reason. Can't remember the details." Or he just didn't care. Either was incredibly accurate.

"....Thats... So.... Sweet! But let me guess, did Ishimaru have an influence on you? He managed to even get Hagakure to come to school. That's one of the hardest things to do!! " Naegi asked, eyeing Taka as if he were a proud father.

"Heh, yeah... Guess ya could say that, huh? That's some skill he has."

Naegi laughed and pulled Mondo aside for a moment, making sure Taka couldn't hear. "Tell me, why did you decide to be friends with Kiyo? Not that I'm disgusted, I'm actually really happy he has a friend! It's just that you two seem like such an unlikely pair!"

"Well... He's a good guy. Lil' bit of a hardass, and loud, but he has good qualities 'bout him." He laughed a little, shrugging. It was odd, already he considered he hall monitor a good friend and he couldn't even explain why. Did he just have that kind of friendly quality? Well... yeah, in a way.

"He's a little awkward, sure. But that's okay, he's such a sweetheart when you get to know him. Though, he has a bad tendency to worry about everybody except himself, ya know? " The brunette nudged Mondo playfully. "You probably seen for yourself by now right? "

"Oh yeah, 'course. I told him that he needs to take care of himself a little more, too. I mean, it's nice and all, but... Makes me worry for him, ya know?"

"Yeah, tell me about it. He doesn't exactly have many friends because he's not exactly the best with socializing... Poor kid gets bullied for something he can't even help either. Seriously, nobody deserves to be treated that badly just because their grandfather screwed everything up. Don't you agree? "

"...Huh?" This was the first he'd heard about this. Just shows how much attention he payed to gossip or whatever. "I dunno what happened, but... that's a pretty pathetic reason to be bullied."

"You don't? Oh boy, then maybe I shouldn't've mentioned it yet. Well, besides the whole grandfather problem...i just want you to know that I'm thankful he can call you a friend." He paused, then he added, "Did you see how bright that smile was when he 'introduced' you? I've never seen him so genuinely happy before."

"I... didn't notice." Wow, what an honour. Mondo found himself smiling slightly at the thought.

"Seriously man, you've manged to make him happier than he's probably ever been. I think he really cares for you, it's obvious he does. So whatever you've done to make him so open, by all means keep doing it. " He winked at Mondo, then turned to Taka to start talking about what today's class had in store.

...Wait, had Naegi just implied what he think he did? Spluttering a little in surprise, he stared for a few seconds before quickly looking at the wall, thinking about it a little more. He... really cared? That gave him... a fuzzy feeling in his chest. It was a nice feeling. A familiar feeling, but... a nice one nonetheless.

As Ishimaru chattered with Naegi, people gradually began to the fill the room. Many of them were too absorbed in either gossip or their phones to notice Mondo, yet those that did didn't even give him a second glance. Soon all of the seats were filled. Then the teacher came in. Miss Monomi, she called herself. "Okay class, let's begin! "

In the middle of class, Naegi walked back over to Mondo. "I almost forgot to ask! Do ya plan on taking anybody to the dance? It's coming up next month." He went a little red as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Personally, I'm planning on taking Leon. You know him, right? Haha,,...Hey maybe you could take Taka! He's never been to a dance before, did you know that?"

"Huh? Dance? ...Oh." He'd... kind of forgotten about it. That showed just how much he cared, I guess. He'd never given it a second thought, thinking he'd probably just skip out like he did with every other school event but now, upon retrospect, he was actually considering it. Raising an eyebrow ever so slightly at Naegi's date - Leon, really? He'd seen the guy a few times, sure, but he was surprised someone like Naegi would like him enough - he was about to say something before that suggestion was thrown his way. Oh no. Face slowly turning red, Mondo stuttered a little bit, words falling from his tongue and leaving him unable to answer for a second or too. "O-oh really? That's... uh, interesting... b-but I dunno, I'm not good at dancin'..."

"I know Taka is. Especially at slow dancing. " Naegi offered a cheerful smile. "He could teach you! He taught me, and let me tell you he works WONDERS. I could barely move to the beat before he helped me. You wouldn't expect someone like him to be so... Good."

"Oh... really? Yeah, that's... kinda surprising... I don't wanna give him trouble though, s'fine. He's probably got a bunch of other crap to deal with, he doesn't need my help to add to that, ya know?"

Naegi let out an involuntary snort. "What's he gonna do? Study? I wouldn't worry about it. All he ever does is review so he's pretty much always free. ...So you interested or not? I need to know. "

"...Y-yeah, kinda." That was more of a quiet mutter than an actual statement, as he looked down to the floor with his face glowing like a beacon. He didn't want anyone else to overhear, even if he didn't care for teenage gossip too much there was no doubt some people would question him hard about this choice.

Naegi nodded happily, then tapped Ishimaru on the shoulder. 

"Yes, Naegi? What is it? "

Naegi made sure mondo was within earshot before asking loud enough for him to hear. "Mondo wants to know if you can teach him how to dance! Whaddaya say?"

Taka looked shocked. He gave Mondo a very surprised look. "You...you do? "

"I-I...! I mean, uh... fuck." He wasn't ready. OK, get it together- "Yeah, I do!" ...That was loud. Really loud. Wincing a little as he knew what he had done out of nervous instinct, he slowly edged his way closer to the door, eager to make an escape after the definite rejection that was heading his way.

It took a few seconds, Ishimaru trying to process what he just heard. A dazzling expression of happiness slowly grew, keeping his eyes on Mondo. "Yes!!! Of course I'll teach you! Why wouldn't I want to? "

...Wait what. "...Really? Ya not gonna back out on me, are ya? Or are ya just pullin' at my leg right now?" This was too good to be true, right?

"Mondo, I think that by now it's been well established that I do not joke very often. I'm dead serious! I'm so honored you'd come to me of all people for help! " He grabbed Mondo's arms and stared him dead in the eyes. "I'm going to make sure to help you to the best of my abilities! I assume it's due to the school dance coming up so whoever you may bring will... um... have a wonderful t-time. " The topic of the dance seemed to bring him down by just a hair and it showed in his overall tone.

"Uh, yeah... with yer help, I'm sure they... they will." The slight stutter and change in tone made Mondo a little worried, though his face never changed from surprised embarrassment as he glanced down to the hands - smaller than his own - that were clamped onto his arms, and then back up at the face staring at him.

"When would you like to start? If you'd like, I am free today so we could start after school." He didn't move his hands from Mondo's arms, though.

"...Sure. I mean, I'm not doin' anythin' else after school, so s'not much of a bother to either of us..."

Ishimaru nodded in agreement. "Oh, class is almost over! Care to help me clean up before we eat? "

"I'm really not that good at cleanin', remember? But, uh... I guess I can try again."

.......

After they finished cleaning, Taka pulled out some food from a container, pushing one towards Mondo. "Here, eat up. I hope you like it!"

"Huh? What's in it?" Though he wasn't going to turn it down. Not only was it a nice gesture and it would be rude of him to decline, but also because it was free food. And free food is always good.

"It's just some Udon I made." Kiyo shrugged, opening his container and taking a forkful out. "I think you'll like it."

"Then I probably will, I'm not that fussy." Once again, free food was always good. "Just hand it over, I'll be the tastetester or whatever the hell they're called."

Without hesitation he pushed it towards Mondo. "Hurry, before it gets cold. " He stated between mouthfuls of food. He patiently waited for Mondo to eat.

Laughing slightly at his impatience, Mondo slowly grabbed a fork and started eating, not saying anything and eating... rather quickly. Well, that would make sense, considering he normally skipped breakfast to be able to ride on his bike before the roads got busy - and he only did it today out of a force of habit.

"So? You seem to like it. Sorry it's not my best work, my mind was wandering and distracting me today. " He sheepishly laughed. When Mondo finished eating, he stopped picking at the large amount of food he still had left for himself and packed it away with a sigh. "We have around forty minutes of extra time. What would you like to do? "

"Eh, I dunno." With a mouth still full of food, he shrugged, before finishing to chew and swallow with a satisfied sigh. For it not being his best work, it was still pretty damn good. "Is there... anythin' you'd like to do?"

"I just want to be with you, so I'll stay with you. " _Realization kicking in in 3....2...1.._ "Agh! I! Um!! You know! Just! I really like you alot and--! Oh no, I'm only making this worse!"

"..." Oh no, oh nonono. He was frozen, stiffening slightly as he stared, blinking. It was such a strange thing to here that he almost couldn't process it. "U-uh, no... I got what ya meant... I think."

Mondo's reaction only made him more frantic. "AS A FRIEND! A FRIEND! UH, YEAH, A FRIEND!" By this point he was pretty much hollering, and he backed away as if terrified. He was cowering back, waiting for the worst to happen. "I... I THINK... DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE? "

That only made him freak out slightly more. Jumping a little bit at the loud shouting before swallowing the natural response to tell him to shut up, Mondo shook his head with a moment's hesitation. "U-uh, no, ya don't have to, s'fine! S'fine... unless ya wanna..."

"You mean you.... Aren't.. Grossed out? You don't want to end our friendship? I messed up really horribly." His voice was reduced to being barely above a whisper, fear and uncertainty painted clear as day.

"...No? Why would I want to end this over somethin' like that?"

"B-because! I said something similar to that train wreck to a boy once before, back in elementary school and! " You could hear a sniffle. He was trying to keep himself from crying. "I've never lived it down since!! It's one of the reasons everybody finds me so disgusting!! I don't understand how's friendship's work, what was I supposed to say?" He was trembling, clearly angry at himself. "I can't even hold up a conversation for long without acting like a crybaby! I'm a disgrace to the Ishimaru name!" His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were pretty much purely white. "And that's why I didn't think you would forgive me! It was inappropriate of me to say and I deserve to be punished for it! " Taka, your emotions are too out of whack. Calm down, it's not a big deal.....Why am I getting so worked up? "I might be making a big deal out of nothing but I'm so embarrassed, how am I going to make it up to you?! "

"...How about just calmin' down first, and then we can... I dunno, head outside? I'm sick of bein' cramped up in here, I just wanna get out and... ride." Being away from your bike can down that to you. Mondo sighed quietly, hoping that would be enough to at least calm the boy down a little. "Look, I don't give a shit about what happened before, or what other people've said or done - unless I see 'em, then I dare 'em to say it again - what matters to me right now is that you're here, and you're OK. Got it?"

Ishimaru fell silent, a look of pure surprise, though managed to snap out of it and wipe furiously at his eyes, an impossibly wide smile forming on his features. His voice was a little muffled as he still kept his arms to his face though, partially due to the fact that his face was heating up very quickly, and partially because he was just trying to wipe the upcoming onslaught of joyful tears. "Okay...thank you so much, really, I mean it with all of my heart...but um.....R-ride..? What do you mean by that?"

"Uh... ya know, bike ride? Out on the road, swirvin' through traffic, goin' so fast the wind feels like it's tryin' to take ya off the seat, livin' dangerous." He couldn't help but smile as he talked about it. It was one of the things he enjoyed the most, after all.

"I.... Would like to try that sometime. " Kiyotaka grinned apologetically. "From how excited you are about it, it surely must be great. "

"Oh yeah, it is! Totally! It's... it's, uh..." Shit, was that acting too excited? Mondo paused before rubbing the back of his neck, looking to the floor in embarrassment. "...Yeah, it is."

"You alright?" He approached Mondo hesitantly, a nervous giggle escaping his lips. "Now, we still have thirty minutes of lunch left. If you really want we could go for a quick ride? Usually I don't allow people to leave the premises but.. I'll make an exception for you. Again. "

"I, uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm... good-" He paused his stupid excuses for a second as he heard that quiet giggling - why was that so damn adorable?! - and listened to the words spoken. Another exception? "Ya... yer being serious, right? No joke? 'Cos ya... ya really wouldn't let me break rules twice and turn a blind eye, would ya?"

 _"Technically_ , I've turned a blind eye three times. You don't mean any harm whatsoever, and even though you don't it's still hard for me to just excuse your actions.. But you've got good(ish) intent! And besides, you'd be with me! I have permission to leave this building if I need, a-and anybody who accompanies me has an automatic excused absence. So yes, I am being entirely serious. "

...Oh boy. It was hard for him to not break out into happy laughter and hug the slightly shorter student, very hard in fact, to the point her a small laugh escaped him. "...Thanks. We better get goin' then, right?"

"Yes, we should! Come on, let us go!" He started leading the way out before he stopped himself. "Wait...maybe you should lead the way. I have no idea where you park your bike. "

"Yeah, I was gonna say. C'mon." Quietly laughing again, Mondo shoved his hands in his pockets and left to room, glancing over his shoulder occasionally to make sure Ishimaru didn't get lost along the way.

"I think I see them! Wait, I think there's multiple bikes....which happen to be yours? " He asked, looking between the three or four bikes coming up ahead.

"Which one d'ya think?" Grinning to himself, Mondo tugged his keys out of his pocket, twirling them around his finger as he headed for the biggest bike out of the gathering - one fully customised, with an immaculate paint job and big, chunky wheels. He quickly climbed on the back of it, plugging in his keys and twisting to start the ignition - it was like an awakened animal, roaring like some kind of metal beast.

"That's yours? Oh goodness, what have I got myself into... " He sighed, scratching his face. He watched the taller man work around his bike. Kiyotaka jumped back at the sudden monster jerking to life, and he let out a very loud noise in surprise. "Ah, ahem, etc, forgive me for that noise. " He mumbled the apology, looking around for where he was supposed to sit. "Uhh..? Where am I supposed to sit, Mondo? And don't you have helmets?"

He shook his head slightly, before shuffling forward. "S'a bike made for one person, ya just gonna have to hold on, yeah? I won't go as fast as usually just 'cossa you."

"Well.. If you say so. " He sweetly smiled, an expression similar to a certain princess flashing briefly upon his face. He got on after a short time of struggling, and he hesitantly wrapped his arms around Mondo's waist. "I'm assuming I hold on here..? "

...Oh. He really didn't think this through, huh. Clearing his throat with his face going warm, Mondo silently thanked the fact that the hall monitor couldn't see his face right now. "Y-yeah, that'll do it... Yer gonna be fine like that, right?"

"Yes, I should be." He meekly replied, nodding 'yes' at the same time. "Where are we taking a ride to, exactly? Are we going to drop the puppy off at your place? "

"Yeah, probably, a-and then, uh... I dunno. We've not got a lotta time, so I guess we can't really do much..." Without even looking back, he used his feet to slowly push the bike out of its space, the engine sounding more like a purring cat than an angry animal.

"You sounds like you are a little disappointed....Is it because we don't have much time? "

"Uh... Yeah. I'd've liked a little more, but eh, nothin' we can do, right?"

".....I.... Suppose we could go for a ride another time, yes? " He offered with an apologetic grin that Mondo probably couldn't see. He wanted to cheer him up little,so maybe the offer would get him up!

"Maybe, if ya really wanna..." With a flick of his wrist he engaged the engine again, the roaring returning as the energy pushed the bike forward at a rather fast speed. Though, keeping his word, he did slow down a bit once they initially set off, still going fast enough for everything around them to be nothing more that a blur.


End file.
